The Truth is in Here
by razatip
Summary: The realm within the Gate of Truth is a place only for the Gods, but time and time again humans have trespassed upon this land. Knowledge is given for their intrusion- at a price. Now what happens when a homunculus breaches the gates of this domain?
1. Descent into Insanity

**A/N**: Characters are FMA manga based and the song is from Ayreon. I adore both and encourage the listening of Ayreon. It's pretty music with cheesiness galore. Now despite the bizarreness of the first FMA anime's ending, I'm going to incorporate some of it into this. You'll see in what ways. X3

**Warnings**: Spoilers for the manga. Envy's point of view.

**The Truth is in Here**

_Last night I had that dream again  
My world was black as night  
Plagued by visions of a future world  
(Mr L, did you take your meds?)_

Everything is black- up and down, left and right. The lack of color hurts my eyes. Or are they closed? If there is no light, how do I know for sure that my eyes are open? I try to raise my hand to touch my face, to feel something –_anything _at all. My arm won't move. Am I being held down? It's hard to tell since along with a loss of sight there's a loss of feeling. This place is nothing but darkness and coldness so freezing it sends goose bumps along my skin and shivers down my spine. In a way, that _has _to be a good sign. I can feel; there's just nothing to feel. So I must be able to see as well. Nothing is wrong with _me_ exactly. It's where I am. I only wish I knew where that was.

A noise so soft I nearly missed it breaks the silence, coming from behind me. My neck swivels around, and I hope to see _something_. Any sort of light, however faint it was, would be such a needed relief. Another noise chimes throughout the air, only this time from the front. Once again, no one is there to be seen. The sound was so familiar. Is it a person? High-pitched but quiet, almost muffled. Laughter? A giggle? Someone out there is _mocking_ me? I refuse to allow that. I am not someone to be mocked. I'm a homunculus- the most superior being there is (_excluding Father himself, of course_). There was no way that someone was going to mock _me_ and get away with it.

"Who's there?" I snarl. My anger subsides at the strange, foreign sound of my voice. It's raspy and hoarse, almost as if it hadn't been used in weeks. Did I always sound like this? No. That's impossible. I'm always talking. Sarcasm and sass are well-known traits of mine, not to mention how I enjoy tormenting my victims with horrifying details regarding the different ways in which I could kill them. Humans and their silly concepts of life and death amuse me. The two are one in the same for a human. They live only to die, so why fear it? It's inevitable, unlike for a homunculus. We live forever. We'll be the ones here when humans are all dead and gone. Just us. It will be a paradise. Only I won't be able to ever see that vision come to fruition if I can't figure out where I am and how I can escape.

I swerve around at the sound of footsteps, somehow managing to move my numb legs. "Answer me!"

But no answer comes, only the touch of something cold. It's everywhere. Something begins wrapping around my arms, my legs, my torso, _my neck._ Was I going to die here? How did I ever get in here to begin with? _Where was I?_

Suddenly the sound of childish giggling is everywhere, coming from all directions.

"Silly, fool," is whispered against my neck. "Your kind does not belong here. You have nothing that we can take."

And then the light came: blinding, agonizing whiteness. My eyes burn in pain as they squeeze shut, but that awful light can't be blocked. How could I have wished for this? I almost prefer the darkness. At least that one only comes with a dull ache, not this blazing torment.

"You're confused, aren't you? Poor thing."

"_Shut up!" _I rasp, my throat scratchy and inflamed from lack of use. "Release me! At once!"

"As if you hold any power," they laugh. And it _is_ a 'they'. Voices come from everywhere.

They're right, though. In my blinded, numbed state, how am I to do anything? As much as I try, I can't break free. I can't shapeshift or move. But I'm angry- oh so angry. They will all pay. Even if they aren't human, they are still beneath me. I will squash them like the insects they are.

"Open your eyes."

I refuse. It would hurt. I don't like pain.

A sigh. "Open his eyes."

The cool touch of fingers that had wrapped around my arms loosen and let go, only to climb up towards my face. I try to use this to my advantage, to escape; but it makes no difference. New hands quickly spring up to take the place of the other ones while the ones on my face move towards my eyes. I snarl in rage. It would hurt. _So much_. Despite my attempts to keep them squeezed shut, the fingers pry my eyes open. I scream in shock (_no, fright! Terror! Shock doesn't even begin to describe the sight I see!)_.

The arms that were surrounding me are nothing more than black, shadowy wisps, similar to the ones that Pride uses. All of them share the trait of being long and flimsy, but they vary in sizes and the grips of the hands are strong, no doubt leaving behind marks on my mostly bare skin. My flesh crawls in disgust as they touch and feel every part of me, sliding along my arms and thighs, even beneath what little clothing I'm wearing on my chest and legs- almost as if they wanted something but couldn't take it. The sheer amount of them is terrifying in itself! How was I to escape this? I can't even tell where they're coming from (_behind me? Above me?),_ but I can see the one talking to me. The figure is no more than a white, shadowy outline, even if that makes no sense. I can hardly tell the figure apart from the white surrounding us. If it weren't for its toothy grin and fuzzy outline, I probably wouldn't have even seen it sitting curled up in front of me.

"Look," it says while gesturing towards the left. Before I even have a chance to, the hands around me twist my head in that direction. "Does it look familiar?"

It does. How could I forget that giant, looming gate? Its image has been scarred into my mind ever since the Fullmetal Alchemist had called it forth and opened it while we were trapped inside of Gluttony's belly. But how long ago was that? I just can't remember.

"How does it feel to be on the inside looking out?"

I was inside it? But everything was white… I thought the inside of the Gate was full of knowledge. That was one of the reasons why Father wants to get inside so badly; he craves the knowledge that is contained within. Perhaps this being was causing there to be light? But what of the nightmarish eyeballs that were said to be inside the doors? That's a common description that alchemists use when talking about what the Gate of Truth contains. Then again, never had a homunculus been inside. We can't use alchemy, so we can't conjure it up. Maybe things inside are just different for us… Or maybe I'm simply thinking too hard into the matter.

"You can go through it. Just open it. Go home."

Home…? Things begin coming back to me. Had there been another time that I had gone into the Gate? No, that wasn't it.

A feeling of dread washes over me as realization finally dawns. I had never left the Gate to begin with. Fullmetal's plan had gone horribly wrong.

The black arms that envelope me finally began loosening their hold until they are gone, disappearing to where they had come from and leaving behind only that single figure in front of me. Its smile seems to grow larger and wider as if sensing my growing horror. Why can't I remember anything past the agreement I had made with Elric? All I had to do was sacrifice a few of the souls inside of me; Edward was the one who was to take the hit if things went wrong. _He_ was the one who had called forth the Gate, not me!

But he and that Xingese brat are no where to be seen. Was I the only one the Gate had kept?

Or maybe this was still apart of the process of escaping. I just have to go through- no, _out_ those Gates, and I would be free and back in Amestris.

The thing in front of me is acting as if he knows something that I don't, but I ignore it. The consequences of going through the doors can not be any worse than remaining here.

With one last wilting glare, I turn away from the figure (_the Truth? Was that what Edward had called it_?) and walk towards the dreaded Gates. Even if I wanted to, I doubt I can stop myself. My legs are moving seemingly by themselves. Once I arrive in front of the exit, I reach my arms out to pull it open, grabbing hold of the handles and yanking as hard as I can. With a creak and a groan, the decrepit doors open wide, inviting me inside. Without a look back, I walk through…

…and I bolt upright in a bed; trembling, confused, and in a numbingly cold sweat.

-----

**A/N**: I _was_ going to make this into a single story, but then I realized it might be a bit too long and that this was the perfect place to leave as a cliffhanger. Next chapters will be longer, I promise, and will hopefully cover more than just half a stanza. Reviews are encouraged and welcomed. : )


	2. Insanity’s Games of Grandeur

**A/N**: I guess no one reads a fanfiction if there's no porn. xD Too bad I don't think there will be any in this story. What a shame.

**Insanity's Games of Grandeur**

_I sang about these dreams  
Warning man of his demise  
Wasted words that no one heard  
(Won't you please relax? I'll make your bed)_

The room is quiet and dark, and a chill runs through the air. Looking to my left, I see a window left ajar, letting a cool breeze into the room. The odd thing is that the window has steel bars covering it. There's just enough room for hands to slip between them and open or close the window. Are the bars there to prevent someone from leaving? Confused, I continue to observe my surroundings. Everything looks familiar, but I just can't figure out what's going on. There's just one piece missing, like that from a puzzle. If I can only figure it out, everything would click.

I do know one thing. Being inside of that Gate had been a dream. Those hands and that figure were nothing more than a figment of my imagination (_or were they? How am I to know for sure?)_. I shake my head to rid these meaningless thoughts from my mind. Everything is just…hazy. My mind's foggy; I just can't _think_. It's odd. Thoughts and memories are swirling around, but I can't single any out. The place where I am is the key to this puzzle. I just need to focus more.

White walls, white bed sheets, white nightgown… There are no decorations at all in the room either, just the bed that I'm lying in and a nightstand to my right.

The door to the room is strange as well. It's a thick steel door with a single square window towards the top.

There's light outside the door… It just flicked on.

Eager for answers, I kick the sheets of the bed off of myself and stumble towards the door. My legs feel like jelly. Why am I having such difficulty in such basic movements? Never before have I felt this sluggish and tired. I pound on the door and yell. That had been a bad idea. My throat flares up in pain, for some reason not being used to shouting. Perplexed, I lower my voice and call out, "Is anybody out there? I demand to see someone! Let me out of this godforsaken place!"

There is no answer. Annoyed, I snarl, "Are you listening to me, maggots? I said I _demand_ to see someone, meaning now!"

A sigh is followed by a shuffling of footsteps, and within seconds a small, mousy woman is standing in front of me. Unsurprisingly she wears pale colors: light pink scrubs. Am I in a hospital? I had been wondering if I was locked up in a jail cell at first, but she doesn't look like a prison guard to me. She's small, middle-aged, and plain looking; a generic nurse.

"What is it, Mr. L?" she asks tiredly. "Is it the hands again? Or is it the eyeballs this time?"

I stare at her, mouth dropping. How had this woman read my mind like that? I quickly shake the thoughts from my mind and hiss, "I want answers. Why am I locked up in here? And who the hell is Mr. L? My name is _Envy_, woman."

"My apologies," was her monotonous reply, as if she wasn't even listening to me. What is wrong with this human? Or maybe she just doesn't know who I am? That can easily change.

"I'll give you one and only one warning, scum. Release me from this room and give me the answers I want. If not, I'll _break_ out, snap your neck, and find my answers elsewhere."

_That_ got a reaction out of the nurse, only not the one I was expecting. She frowns and reaches into her pocket, pulling out a walkie talkie. Noticing my eyes on her, she takes a step to the side with her back to me while whispering into her device, "Sam? Yeah, it's Alice. I'm having difficulties with the patient Mr. L. He's reverting back to his initial state." She pauses then goes on, "Yes, the violent one. Screaming, yelling, and threatening. It's such a shame. Having him go mute for the past week had been a godsend." Another pause as she listens to the other person and a sigh. "I'm sorry. Of course I know that. I won't talk badly about the patients again, and I'll double his dosage. Here's to hoping that him coming back to his senses is an improvement."

Mute? Patient? Double my _dosage_? Is _that_ why I'm feeling so groggy?

My hands ball into fists as my anger at this injustice rises. How _dare_ these humans lock me up! I've always been told that I'm borderline insane, but with the power that I have there was no way for anyone to throw me into an insane asylum. It's amazing that someone was able to do that now. Hopefully I can figure out a proper reward for their outstanding achievement; perhaps a slow, painful death was in order for that human.

Deciding that I'm tired of waiting for the woman to free me, I decide to take things into my own hands. Literally. I slam my fist into the hard steel of the door.

It…didn't exactly have the effect that I had hoped it would (_stupid, unthinking, weak…)_. Of course I was expecting a small bit of pain, but I was also used to my hand actually going _through_ the things it punched. With the weight and force that had been behind it, it's stunning that nothing had happened but a resounding thud throughout the empty room. Excruciating pain flares up in my knuckles, sending tingles of agony throughout my entire hand. Was that blood left behind on the door? Why was it not healing? I try to flex my fingers, but that only shoots more pain signals up my arm. "Wh-what… What have you people done to me….?"

I'm not _healing_. I can't _shapeshift_. I have no _strength_.

With horror, I realize that my current state is similar to that of a human: weak and fragile. How could this be? I violently shake my head and slam a foot into the door in outrage. "_What's wrong with me?! What have you _done_?!_" A second kick; a third; a forth; but that door remains unyielding. Not even a dent is left behind! It's mind baffling! The door should be knocked off its hinges and on the floor right now! That is the strength of a homunculus; nothing stands in our way. _Nothing! _Especially for me. My strength is the strongest considering the mass of my body. When someone takes a hit from me, they're going to hurt; but this door seems unaware of that. Even the shocked nurse in the hallway has no clue. Does she even know _what_ I am?

With one last screech and kick, I shuffle away from the door to collapse against the wall opposite of my bed, sliding down it to curl up on the floor. I breathe heavily, winded from my outburst but still terribly frustrated. I just need to calm down and think things through. What is the last thing I remember? Waking up from that awful nightmare, but before that is nothing but an empty slate. It's as if my memory had been wiped clean. Deciding it's best to focus on what I know, I concentrate on recalling the dream. It had been horribly realistic and accurate. I remember Edward Elric opening the Gate inside of Gluttony, the dream, and then waking up. The only logical conclusion was that going through those doors had led me to this place, but that was impossible and made little sense. I was supposed to reappear outside of Gluttony with Elric and the brat from Xing, not inside of an insane asylum.

The sound of a door unlocking snaps me out of my thoughts and I glance over at it. That nurse from before is cautiously entering while holding something behind her back. She looks a little startled but not scared. Was she used to her patients acting like this? (_Or is she used to me acting this way?)_

"Shhh, it's okay," she whispers soothingly as she approaches me. "You just had a nightmare. Have you taken your meds for the day? Oh my, your hand…"

I stare at her in confusion before raising my hand to look at it. It's a nasty mess… I had somehow forgotten about it. My bleeding knuckles are already turning ugly shades of blues and greens- a first for me. My wounds normally never have time to bruise; they heal mere instants after being inflicted on me. I try to wiggle my fingers, but that only intensifies the pain. Is it broken? Is this what it feels like to have broken bones? And my foot… Is that broken as well? Pain is flaring up in it. I swallow hard, trying to push back the fury I have for this place and the pain I feel.

"I'll be right back. Let me go get something for your hand and foot," the nurse says quietly as she looks me over. Once she concludes that I'm calm enough to be left alone for a few minutes, she turns around and walks back towards the door. In her hand had been a syringe…

Fright begins to well up inside of me, but I ignore it. Homunculi do not feel fear. We're indestructible. Nothing can hurt us. There's no reason for fear.

So why do I feel this way? The blank walls seem as if they're closing in on me…

I shake my head, flinging my long hair left and right, then finally pull my legs up to my chest and set my arms on top. With a sigh, I rest my head on them, burying it into my arms. Solving puzzles and thinking things through isn't something that I'm good at. Others give me orders and I follow them. It was that simple. Thinking this much is _not_ something I'm used to, but I'm certainly not stupid. If I can clear the lingering haze of hatred and fury from my mind, I can do this. It's just… It's so _hard_ to ignore my anger.

Within minutes the nurse returns with a first aid kit and a small bottle of pills. "Let's get you up off that floor, Mr. L. The bed is so much more comfortable."

I lift my head to glare at her, refusing to budge. "I could kill you. Why do you ignore my threats?"

"Hush. Enough of that. If you killed me, who else would take care of you? You know how the other nurses lack the patience to deal with your tantrums. You'd be locked away into solitary confinement for days again."

"When did _that _happen?"

She sighs. "Two weeks ago. You haven't said a word since, until now." I bristle, annoyed once more. This woman speaks to me as if I was a child! How _dare_ she! As if she couldn't sense my indignation, she kneels down in front of me and takes my hand. I try to yank it away, but she has a firmer grip than I thought (_or maybe I'm simply too weak to resist_). "It's broken," she says in yet another sigh. "And your foot looks as if it is too. You really need to be more careful. The doctors are tired of always seeing you in their ward." Glowering, I say nothing. Hating the pain I felt, I simply let the woman tend to my wounds. Once finished, she gets to her feet, dusting off her shirt and pants. I stiffen, knowing what was to come next. I don't want to be drugged again; I don't want to sleep. I need to _think_. "Won't you please relax? I'll fix up your bed for you, then you can go back to sleep. Does that sound nice?" Not even waiting for my answer, the nurse goes to my bed, sets the first aid kit and pills on the nightstand, then begins airing out and straightening the sheets. The pillows are fluffed and the blankets are tucked neatly along the mattress, all while I sit and stare.

"Why don't you listen to me?" I finally hiss out. "I'm not human, you know. It's the pills that are suppressing my powers, isn't it? You think you fools have me beat. _Ha!_ You creatures are so _stupid_. Just wait. I'll be sure to massacre every last one of you." The nurse stares at me with a tight, pursed frown. There is no fear in her expression… She doesn't believe me! "My companions will find me. Father _needs_ me; he won't let me waste away in this building. Oh how I can't wait for them to come! Gluttony will devour you all while Sloth tears you limb from limb. Maybe even Wrath or Pride will come, then you lot will really be in trouble." I laugh, amused by these thoughts.

"And then Lust will come to slice and dice us while Greed bashes our skulls in?" she asks, mildly interested.

I stare, flabbergasted once more. Lust and Greed…?

"No, Lust is…"

"Dead? Ah… I see."

What does she see? What does she think she knows?!

The woman picks up a clipboard that was hanging on the side of the nightstand then begins flipping through the pages it has. There's just enough light coming in from the open door for her to read and scribble a few notes. "Mr. L," she finally says as she looks over at me. "These people do not exist. I've made a note for you to meet with the doctor tomorrow. Please behave yourself until then; other patients need their rest too. Now will you please do as I've asked before?"

Does this woman honestly expect me to believe her? Of course the other homunculi exist. I've been coexisting with them for centuries! She just thinks I'm crazy.

A plan begins forming in my mind as I rise to my feet. It's not exactly ingenious, but I think it might work. I just need to play along with their games for a little while.

My cooperation draws the first smile I've seen the woman give me. It's tired but full of relief. She sets the clipboard down and reaches for the bottle of pills, popping it open and pouring two out. The orange container is then closed and promptly placed into her pocket. "Here you are," she says as she hands me the pills, picking up a glass of water from the nightstand afterwards. I take both. Without saying a word, I toss the little white pills into my mouth and swallow down the water. "Good, very good. I'm glad you're listening to me again. Now off to bed with you."

The nurse stays long enough to watch me climb into the bed and under the blankets before she turns around and walks out of the room with the clipboard back in her hand. The thick door is shut, locked, and the lights outside go dim.

I sit up in bed, resting back against the pillows as I raise a hand to my mouth and spit out the pills. What a stupid woman. Why would she trust a supposed mental patient? I lean over the side of the bed and shove the two pills beneath the mattress. Once they are safely hidden, I plop back down against the pillows.

Now it's time for the waiting game. My powers _have _to return to me. It might take days for the medication I had taken before to run its course through my system, but once it does I should be back to normal. Then these humans would pay…

Until then, sleep sounds like the only thing I can do for now. In the morning I will have to pry more information out of those fools.

My eyes close as a sigh escapes from my lips.

Why do I feel so tired…?

-----

**A/N**: Chapter two done! Within just a few a days too; I'm amazed. As usual, please review. I like to hear from my readers. =)


	3. The Grand Design

**A/N**: I actually have this whole story planned out- a big first for me. Now I have no excuse not to write it, besides laziness. xD

**Warnings**: The f-bomb is dropped a few times by a peeved Envy and there is an over usage of semi-colons throughout.

**The Grand Design**

_Today I had that dream again  
I roamed among the stars  
On the wings of an amazing flight  
(Mr L, do you feel OK?)_

_To a place beyond our time  
Where the sunlight doesn't warm  
And colour bleeds into the night  
(We may have to increase your dose today)_

My eyes snap open and I'm in that dark, cold place once more (_Inside the Gate? Back home?)_. It's strange. I know that I'm dreaming, but I won't wake up. Or at least I _think_ that I'm dreaming. It's hard to know for sure, considering my current situation in an insane asylum. Maybe _that's_ the dream. All this nonsense frustrates me to no end; I can't stand it. I need to focus. Taking a deep breath in, I glance around. The place is the same as it had been before. That strange creature isn't here yet, or if it is it's hiding well in the darkness. I have a feeling that it's just waiting to show its nonexistent face.

"I know you're somewhere out there."

There is no point in waiting for that thing to show itself first. I'm not going to let things happen like before. There is no way in hell that those arms will hold me back this time.

"Show yourself!"

The creaking of old, rusty doors resonates around the area, and light gradually flows in. I much prefer this way of lighting the area to the last time. It's better on my eyes. Turning towards the source of the sound, I see the doors of the Gate opening. All I can do is stand and stare in puzzlement. I have always pictured the doors of the Gate to be different. More grand and intimidating- not decrepit and worn. These doors look as if they would fall apart with a light shove.

"Ugly, aren't they?" I hear a voice ask from my left. Knowing who it was, I don't even spare it a glance. "It's a first I've seen them this way, actually. Usually when alchemists come to this land, those Gates are huge and magnificent. It's always an enjoyable sight. But _this…_" The voice pauses to laugh, and I can't help but glare over at The Truth. Once it is able to overcome its mirth, the figure continues, "It's hideous. A glimpse to what's inside the soul of the person who has conjured it, perhaps? What an ugly creature you must be then."

My eyes narrow into slits, and I briefly see red.

I can't lose control… I _can't_ lose my temper! This may be my only chance to learn the truth of what is going on!

I once again take a deep breath and say nothing.

"Edward Elric's Gates…. Now _those_ were something to see," the creature muses. "Grand, beautifully constructed architecture. He truly is a good person. Such a shame he had to do something so very stupid. Ah, but that's the beauty of humans, isn't it? They climb high, they fall hard, but they always get right back up on their feet."

"You speak foolishness," I spit out, irritated with the thing's talk. I want answers, not more riddles. "If those doors did give insight into a person's soul, then they wouldn't even appear for me. I'm a homunculus. I have no need of a soul."

"That's not completely true, now is it?" the Truth asks, his grin growing all the more wide. "I mean, the part about _you_ not having a soul can't be argued. Why would a creature made in the image of man have that which man has? That would be incredibly stupid, but there is no denying the fact that those doors are here, proving that some sort of ugly secret is hiding within you. Can your simple mind figure it out?"

I know I said I need to maintain my temper, but hearing him make a mockery of me really tests my patience. I _know_ that I'm not a pretty sight; I do _not_ need to be reminded of that, especially now that I have an appearance that better suits me. I'm not difficult to look at now, so why must he insult me? Closing my eyes in an attempt to relax and calm my nerves, I take some time to think on the question asked. It makes no sense for the Gate to open its doors for _me_, a creature with no soul. Father had tested other homunculi to see if an inhuman creature could open the Gates, but no homunculus was able to accomplish that. What exactly was special about me that the other homunculi lacked?

My eyes snap open_. Human souls_. That was it. I have countless souls within my body, but they aren't exactly _mine_.

"By that look on your face, I think you've figured it out," the Truth says, amused. "Your body contains _hundreds_ of souls from people who were brutally massacred in the land of Xerxes- a massacre caused by your own kind. You hate these souls, don't you? You blame them for the revolting body you're stuck with. I almost feel sorry for you, sharing a body with the silently screaming souls of hundreds killed."

As the Truth begins laughing once more, I feel blood rising to my cheeks in fury. Its words blend together into a babbling mess of insults and mockery, and in my growing anger I am unable to differentiate one insult from another. Every word it spits out is the same as the last, a derision targeted towards my appearance, my intelligence, and even my species. The feeling of sharp pain in the palm of my hand pulls me out of my enraged stupor, and I glance down to see blood seeping out from the cracks of my balled fist. I open it to see deep finger marks embedded into my flesh, ones that won't heal. Even in this dream world I have no powers, but if I dwell on that thought much longer I'll slip into an angry state of mind again.

Frowning, I focus in on the Truth once more, who surprisingly has ceased its string of insults. Instead it stares at me, or at least I can only guess that it is. It's hard to know for sure where a being with no visible eyes is staring.

"Don't go feeling special, homunculus," it begins. "I don't harbor any biased hatred for you or your kind. I don't hate. Both homunculi and humans share the trait of foolishness, only homunculi vastly more so than humans. Where one makes mistakes and learns from it, the other continuously follows the same pattern of obedience and duty. You're such an amusing creature, Envy." Hearing the _thing_ say my name sends shivers down my spine, but I remain calm and say nothing. For once in my life, I'm able to keep level-headed _and_ quiet. "But so very, _very_ foolish. Maybe that's why you're so amusing to watch. Throughout the several hundred years of the homunculus's existence, it has done nothing but follow the commands of a single person. Your kind is simply unchangeable. Even when Greed had broken free from the chain, he made mistakes and never learned. Unlike humans.

Now _they_ have a future ahead of them. Do you know that, in another world, humans have already achieved the power of flight? They have made it possible to fly among the clouds and to even visit the stars in the sky. A homunculus would never be able to achieve such a feat. They are simple-minded creatures who follow their orders dutifully like a dog to its master," it says in a sneer. "Never changing and never learning- that is the way of a homunculus. Your kind is an abomination to life; a spit into the face of the one who gave life to all."

"Why are you telling me all this?" I finally ask, my voice trembling with loathing.

"Because your kind is not long for this world," it replies, almost joyously. "You were never meant to be. Homunculi are the only living creatures who are never to be welcomed into this land, and soon your kind will be rid from existence. You are the second to be erased; only six more remain."

The confusion of the Truth's last statement quells my disdain for the nonsense it speaks, and I take some time to think on it. Six more remain. Six _homunculi_? No, that doesn't add up. I can only imagine that erase means death, so using that logic only one homunculus is dead: Lust. I'm apparently the second. That leaves Gluttony, Sloth, Wrath, Pride, and Greed. Five. Unless Father is being added into this equation as well? Now _that_ is the biggest load of shit I have heard so far!

Laughing nearly hysterically at the concept of _Father_ being killed, I throw at the Truth, "You speak a lot of nonsense yourself. You think Father will be killed sometime soon? _Father?_ Our plans are nearly complete! The country of Amestris is _ours_, and the transmutation circle of the land is nearly finished. We- _homunculi_ –will soon have our dreams come true! Not _humans_; _they_ are the ones who are foolish and stupid! They fight amongst themselves; warring and killing! Humans are vastly more savage than we homunculi, and they don't even try to be! They _condemn_ savagery while I wholeheartedly enjoy it, and yet compared to the human's history, a homunculus is practically saintly. Who are the ones who nearly wiped out an entire race? _Humans!_ Who are the ones easily manipulated? _Humans!_ Who are the weaker of the two? _Humans!_ They are the only species on the planet who rely on machines to protect themselves; we homunculi use our _own_ power. We don't need anyone else's power. _We_ are the superior creatures!"

"But at the end of the day, humans have one another."

That simple statement ends my laughter, and I stare at the silhouette in front of me, eyes going wide. I know where it was going with this talk, and I don't like it.

"Humans have family and friends; loved ones and comrades. No matter what disaster may befall them, whether on account of their own faults or not, they manage to get back on their feet and rebuild. They care and love one another more than they destroy and harm, unlike homunculi who do not feel or love or even think for themselves. This is the reason why you were named after the Sin of Envy; you are jealous of what humans are capable of: feeling."

All reasonable thought flies from my mind.

How dare it. How _dare_ it bring _my_ insecurities into this argument. Why does it know all of this? Why does it enjoy making a mockery of me? Of _me_ of all people!

It will pay. I don't care if it's a supernatural deity that guards the Gates between life and death; it will _PAY. _It will SUFFER and _scream_ in remorse for the jests it has dared to belittle me with. I will have it begging and _shrieking_ for the mercy of a quick death. It had better hope to whatever God it has that it's even capable of death; otherwise I will take great pleasure in experimenting with new forms of agonizing torment for this godforsaken creature.

I lunge. My hands ball into tight fists and draw back, ready to connect with the cheeky-grinned face of the smug bastard.

The Truth vanishes. My hand hits nothing but air, causing me to stumble forward and onto the ground.

"Come BACK here!" I shriek, refusing to allow my vengeance to slip away. "Get your fucking ass BACK HERE!"

All there is is laughter.

Ridiculing laughter.

And darkness. The light disappeared along with Truth.

"Do you honestly think you can escape me? I've killed inhuman things before! Chimera, homunculi, horrific creature spawned by alchemy gone wrong! I wouldn't mind adding an all too high and mighty being such as yourself to the fucking list!"

I laugh. Nothing's funny. In fact, it's the complete opposite. My position terrifies me. I'm alone in the dark with a creature on the same levels of God Himself (_if one exists)_. But I laugh nonetheless. Even if the Truth were to return, how would I even harm it? My powers are gone. I'm weak.

Weak. Weak weak weakweakweak WEAK.

My sanity feels as if it's shattering. I just…can't accept that I'm powerless.

Almost as if I was human…

Shaking in distraught laughter, I climb up to sit on my knees, holding my head in my hands as I shake back and forth.

There has to be a way out of this mess. There HAS to be.

I'm in a dream- a horrible, blood-curdling nightmare.

So I just have to wake up.

At this sudden realization, I feel things wrapping around my body: cold, slippery appendages that circle my arms, my legs, my torso, and even my neck. I fight back the urge to panic and fight, and instead I allow the arms to take me away. I'm being led out (_waking). _Soon I will be out of this hellish land.

My eyes squeeze closed despite there being no light as the feeling of weightlessness washes over me.

Without even having to see it, I know that I'm being thrown through the Gates.

-

Screaming, I bolt upwards, eyes wide in panic with my body trembling. As my chest heaves heavily up and down for air, I frantically look around the room. Sunlight flows through the bars of the window, covering the room in a gentle, luminous light. Room… I'm in a room. Four walls, a floor, a ceiling. No longer am I surrounded by whiteness as far as the eyes can see. No longer is there ridiculing laughter echoing around me. No longer are there Gates towering over me. Best of all, no longer is that _thing _sitting before me with its toothy grin.

I give a sigh of relief and wipe away the sweat from my forehead.

"Mr. L…?" I jump, panicked. Who else was in here with me? Looking to my right, I see the nurse hovering beside me, worried and anxious to get a response from me. "Are you alright? You've been rolling around and screaming in your sleep. Do you feel well? Is it dreams?"

With another sigh of relief, I let my gaze fall from the woman and onto the bed sheets. Upon seeing my bandaged hand, I can't help but think about how I injured myself in my dream, but this wound is from something else- from yesterday when I foolishly pounded my fist into a steel door. Not that horrible dream. I look back up to the nurse, seeing her talk but paying little attention to what she is actually saying. My mind is too cluttered with confused thoughts. What is the connection between this world and mine or even the connection between the world of the Gate and this one? I have just received so much new information on my predicament, but all it did was confuse me even more.

"We may have to increase your dose today," I hear her say. "But right now we must get you ready for your appointment with the doctor."

I stare at her blankly. Doctor? Ah, right… She had mentioned something about that yesterday.

Mentally exhausted, I try to prepare myself for what I feel will be a long, long day.

-----

**A/N**: Phew, all done. More confusion added to the confusion of my story. Next chapter will finally have someone else in it besides Envy; a doctor with a very familiar face. Who could it be? X3


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